Tag: summer makeup

Summer Makeup: The Setting Sun

If you’ve been a long-time reader, you’ve probably gotten the hint that I love me some sunset-ish colors and looks. I can’t help it! I gravitate towards them. Golds got a hold on me! I think I’m going to do a green look next. Like totally freakin’ green. I try to give greens a rest, since I also have a thing for green, but I think I am due for something green.

For eyes, start by applying Smudgeproof as your eyeshadow base all over the eye area with the 249. Using the 239, apply Goldmine eyeshadow on the entire lid. Lightly blend Cranberry eyeshadow on the inner crease with the 217. Next, apply Amber Lights eyeshadow on the outer third of the lid with the 239. Define the crease with Antiqued eyeshadow and the 226. Blend Orb eyeshadow with the crease shade and highlight the brow bone. Bring everything together by applying Lucky liner on the lower lash line and then pat Goldmine eyeshadow beneath. Finish by sweeping lashes with Plushlash mascara.

For cheeks, apply Margin blush on the apples of the cheeks and sweep upwards towards the temple with the 116, then lightly pat Amber Diamond skinshimmer on the cheekbones to highlight.

For lips, apply Funbathing lipstick first, and then layer Easy Lounger lipglass for a complementing lip.

5 Tips to Look Gorgeous This Summer

Monday will kick off the summer season, and if you live in an area where summer means heat… you know your makeup routine tends to change. Between heat, humidity, enjoying the outdoors, and for many, vacation, here are some of my favorite tips on adjusting your makeup for summer!

Tinted moisturizer is your friend! Whether you mix your own by mixing your existing foundation with your favorite moisturizer or you invest in a specific tinted moisturizer, it is a great alternative to regular foundations (especially if you tend to wear liquid foundation!). It’s lightweight, melts on the skin, and it still gives you just a little coverage while still looking extremely natural. Many tinted moisturizers also include SPF–which is a must when the sun is shining (and even when you don’t think it is).

A-hoy waterproof mascara! Keep those lashes looking long and luscious without worrying about flaking, smudging, or budging while you’re enjoying the day by investing in a good waterproof mascara. One tip I have is to use your regular mascara first, and then do one coat of waterproof mascara. If you have any issues removing waterproof makeup, try an oil-based makeup remover like MAC’s Cleanse-off Oil or shu uemura’s Cleansing Oil–or even just plain ol’ olive oil.

Looking for a silicone-free primer? Look no further!

Korres Face Primer ($28.00 for 1.01 oz. or $10.00 for 0.34 oz.) is exactly that. After my debacle Smashbox Photofinish Primer, I really wanted to steer clear of silicone-based primers. I couldn’t tell you if that really causes breakouts for me or not, but I do think my skin is sensitive to high levels of silicone in products. So when I fell in love with Korres’ tinted moisturizer, I had high hopes for their face primer.

Korres touts it as a 99% natural, antioxidant-rich face primer that’s silicone free. It is formulated without silicone, parabens, sulfates, synthetic dyes/fragrances, mineral oils, petrochemicals, phthalates, and GMOs. It is Ecocert certified as well. This primer seems best for those with dry to normal skin. I’m not sure if it is “thick” enough in its primer-ness to work as well on oily skin types. I’m hoping some of you who have tried this can chime in and confirm/deny!

I found it worked well on me by making my skin tone seem smoother (not necessarily as a line-filler, though), a bit more even, and it kept my makeup looking fresh throughout the day. What I liked was that it felt like an extremely lightweight moisturizer. It doesn’t feel like a silicone primer at all – it doesn’t have the gel-y feel. It also has a very, very faint citrus scent, which is pleasing, but it’s so subtle I hardly notice it. I might never have noticed if not for wanting to determine if it had a scent at all!

The packaging is simple but effective. The tube makes it easy to get what you need out, and there’s no light damage nor dipping fingers into it either. I feel like a little goes a long way, so this tube should last me six months or longer of regular usage. Even if it only lasts two or three months, I still feel you get good bang for your buck relative to some other primers.

For me, it did what it was designed to – enhanced the way my skin looked, kept my makeup looking good even into the wee hours of the night, AND it did not break me out. In fact, my skin seemed to look and feel better after wearing this regularly for a couple of weeks.

I’m pretty eager to check out some more Korres products — anyone have any recommendations?

Benefit 10 Powder ($28.00) is a combination highlighter and bronzing duo. If you’ve seen Benefit’s other powders like CORALista or Dandelion, it’s the same idea, but the powder is split in half — half is a bronzer, half is a highlighter. The highlighter is a light, milky silvery-pink with soft sheen but no real glitter particles (that’s a good thing, by the way). The bronzer is similar in texture and sheen, except it’s a peachy-bronze color with gold sheen. You can see how I used it in a look here.

10 is one of those products that takes some trial and error before you can appreciate its genius. Once you do get the hang of it, though, it is a grab-and-go kind of experience. I personally used the 168 and 169 respectively for this product, and I found it worked just right for me. I do suggest using a light hand initially, so you don’t over-do it or get a ruddy/muddy result. The highlighter is just that–a highlighter–so unless you are extremely fair, don’t go into it expecting to use it as a pink blush!

Benefit Posietint ($28.00) is a lip and cheek stain in a cool, bright pop of pink. The bottle feels very small, but this is a product where less is most definitely more! You need very little — just a little dot on each cheek, then blend either with fingers or a stippling brush (I love the 188 for all cream/liquid products). I do recommend applying cheek at a time, because you need to work fairly fast. If you’re new to liquid/cream cheek products, I implore you to start off slowly so you don’t end up with any splotchiness!

The color of Posietint does run a bit cool, but I still think it’s quite wearable for all skin tones, as I liked the soft, natural pinking it gave my cheeks. It was just perfect for that barely-there-flush to match with barely-there makeup. The color of the box (pictured above) is very much the color of the product itself (but you can compare with the swatch, too). With summer nearing, I start reaching for creamy blushes, because I use them as a base. I layer a cream blush on my cheeks after foundation, then apply a powder blush or powder highlight to set the cream blush. I set my whole face by applying translucent loose powder, and I find my makeup gets me through even the hottest days.

One great thing about Posietint is that you can build up the intensity of the stain, either on lips or on cheeks. Just keep layering and blending it onto cheeks (or lips!) to increase the color until you get to the level you desire. I’d say I like it more on cheeks than lips, but on lips it helps add more “natural” pink to my otherwise kind of muted-mauve-dead lips.

Recommended For

Oily skinned folks — this is less likely to slide around if you set it
Ladies on the go; super easy to apply
Work-safe looks, because it just gives you enhanced natural cheek color
Summerproof makeup — stays on longer than powder blushes, less likely to budge/smear

Korres Watermelon Lightweight Tinted Moisturizer SPF 30 ($28.00 for 1 oz.) is a lightweight, tinted moisturizer. (I think the name of the product does a pretty good job of describing the product, yeah?) It’s a sheer, barely-dewy foundation that is an easy, on-the-go product. I typically use brushes/sponges to apply my foundation, but with tinted moisturizers, I tend to use my hands, as it’s the easiest method. Korres’ tinted moisturizer is incredibly thin, and it applies easily, but I find I need to apply quickly or else it dries down before I’m done.

I really liked the way the foundation makes my skin look, and I’m actually impressed that a tinted moisturizer could actually provide as much coverage as this one does. I do have post acne marks and the like, so I do have a few things I like to minimize/conceal, and Korres’ tinted moisturizer gives me a pretty even skin tone with no fuss. The product is designed to give you a medium coverage, and it definitely does so, but it feels extremely light. It feels lighter than a moisturizer, actually.

My only complaint about the tinted moisturizer is that it isn’t very moisturizing. It isn’t drying, but it doesn’t pack enough in the hydration department. I prefer to use my regular moisturizer first, let it dry, and then apply the tinted moisturizer. I have normal/combo skin, so I’m not usually super dry and rarely do I start off the day oily, so perhaps those with really oily skin would find this a great lightweight moisturizer, too.

Korres’ Watermelon Lightweight Tinted Moisturizer has the benefits of SPF30 (octinoxate, avobenzone), sheer to medium coverage, quick application, quick drying time, and it feels like you’re wearing nothing at all. It is also water-resistant with a “sweat-proof tint.” I’d say it’s pretty resistant, as it does almost feel like a tinted primer sometimes. I can’t say I’ve gone swimming in this yet, but it does wear well all day for me under regular conditions. For those concerned about ingredients, Korres doesn’t use parabens, sulfates, mineral oil, petro-chemicals, propylene glycols, ethanoomines, GMOs, or synthetic dyes.